Conventional airships are been modeled after fish or bird-like forms with fin-like control surfaces which nature has demonstrated to move efficiently through fluid or gaseous media. Designs that depart from this basic fluid-dynamic shape, even if excessively attractive, are seldom implemented because they tend to encounter significant bow resistance and trailing drag forces which limit their speed, efficiency and controllability. Additionally, conventional airships tend to employ large, noisy aircraft engines to achieve their forward propulsion.
Conventional airships sometimes carry printed advertising signage, sometimes illuminated from within. For example, some airships have networks of lights attached to their sides which can be programmed to display text and simple images. However, these networks of lights only cover a small portion of the surface of the airship.